Hydraulic brake for motorcycles and bicycles



R. D. INSKO Feb. 13, 1940.

HYDRAULIC BRAKE FOR MOTORCYCLES AND BICYCLES Filed May 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Rmheri D. Insku BY Q,

l v A"; ic"F{.'-'E S.

Feb. 13, 1940. R. D. INSKO HYDRAULIC BRAKE FOR MOTORCYCLES AND BICYCLES Filed May 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 x m J C i A no wk E I U T- ATTORNEYS.

Patented F eb. 13, 1940 HYDRAULIC BRAKE Foe MOTORCYCLES 1 AND mcvcmss Robert D. Insko, Paris, Ky. Application May 6, 1938, Serial No, 206,454

' 4 Claims. -(c1.-192-5) The invention relates to improvements in hydraulic brakes for vehicles, such as bicycles and motorcycles, and an important object of the in:

vention is to provide a brake which is operated by back-pedaling. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide individual hydraulic brakes for each wheel of a bicycle, operable by back-pedaling.

Still another object of the invention is to provide two opposed brake members in each wheel,

the brake members of all the wheels bein applied with equal force. 1 i

A further object is to provide a hydraulic brake disposed within the hub portion of a wheel and means exteriorly of the hub portion for operating the brake. e

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of fluid inlet and outlet conduits in the axle of a hub-enclosed hydraulic brake.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during thev course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawmgs:

Figure l is a side elevation of a bicycle equipped with the back-pedaling brake mechanism.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a hydraulic pump preferably employed to supply fluid to the hydraulic brakes.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a pedal-actuated crank and showing the manner in which it is rotatably supported in the frame of the bicycle.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken sub "ters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, it! designates a bicycle including a frame ll, provided with a rear fork 42, a pivotal front fork I3 and a crank hanger 4.

In the rear fork i2 is secured a rear wheel i5 provided with a hub 16, as shown in Figure 5, having threaded cones il in its opposite ends, rolling upon balls l8 supported by threaded cones 19 at opposite end portions of a stationary axle 20. Leading from an outer end portion H of the .uxlcis a passageway 22 terminatingin the pe diate the ends of the axle.

riphery of an annular enlargement n interme- A second passageway 24 extends between the opposite end ofthe axle enlargement 23, and this passageway is provided with a removable plug 26. Secured against op posite shoulders of the annular enlargement 23, as by nuts 21 are annular discs 28 provided with perforations 29. These discs are secured against rotation on the axle as by splines 30. Between thehub l6 and axle 20 is a cylinder 3i having an interior annular enlargement 32 intermediate its ends, against which the annular discs 28 are seated, and the cylinderis secured against rotation relative to the discs as by splines 33. 'Secured for axial non-rotative motion relative to opposite ends of the cylinder, as by splines 34, arc opposed annular pistons 35 between the axle and cylinder and each urged outwardly from the center of thecylinder as by an expansion coil spring 35, encircling the axle and bearing upon an annular seat 36 inwardly of the piston. In the outer face of each piston, there is provided an annular channel or groove 31 in which is disposedthe annular tongue portion 35 ofa brake disc 39 normally held in spaced adjacent relation. to the inner surface l!) ofone of the cones H, as by an expansion coil spring 4| encircling the axle and seating against'one of the cones l9. This arrangement of. the cylinder provides a central and a tube 25. projecting upwardly of the annular chamber 42 and opposite chambers 43 in communication with the central chamber. The cones l9 may be held in adjusted relation as by locknuts 44 outwardly of which theoppos ite sides of the rear fork l2 are secured as by lock-nuts 45. Rotatably mounted at one end of the axle, asby a (iOllb1E-1OW annular ball bearing member 46, is a sprocket 4'! having an annular flange 48 disposed in inwardly concentric relation to a cylindrical wall portion 89 forming an extension of one of the cones ll. In thefiange'48 there is formed a plurality of concavities 48' of gradually increasing depth and'each carrying a ball 49 adapted to freely ride uponthe cylindrical wall portion 49, upon rotation of the sprocket in one direction, and to bind against the wall portion 49', upon rotation of the sprocket inareverse direction. In the example shown, five concavities and live balls are provided, and with this arrangement there will always beone ball ready for instant binding engagement upon such reverse construction 52 for the front wheel 53 is the same as the hub and brake construction of the rear wheel with the exception that the sprocket 41,

together with the bearing member 46 and the balls 49 are omitted.

Within each end portion of the crank hanger His threaded an outer cone 54 carrying balls 55 and inner cones 56 and 51, as shown in Figure 3. A two-part crank 58 is provided. One crank section 59 is formed with an axle 68 having fixed, on its inner end portion 51, as by a key 52 and nut 63, a sprocket 54 about which is trained a drive chain 65 to the rear wheel sprocket M. The

nut 63 engages the cone t, and a shoulder 65, formed by reducing the free end portion 66 of flange upon movement of the axle in a forward- :to a threaded socket 98.

. shaped shell pedaling direction. In the example shown, five concavities 69 and five balls H! are provided. The remaining crank sectionlt is fixed upon a tapered surface 14 of the free end portion of the axle, as by a key and nut 16. Disposed between the flange II and the crank hanger is a double-row annular ball bearing 11.

Mounted upon the crank hanger portion of the frame is a fluid pump 18, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This pump 18 may include a cylinder 19 provided with a piston 80 having a reduced stem portion 8| terminating in a socket 82 encirclingly engaging a head 83 threadedly secured to the reduced end portion 84 of a rack 85. This rack is reciprocably carried within a tubular housing 35 having a threaded end 81 detachably secured to the cylinder. Rotatably journaled in the housing 86 is a shaft 83 having fixed on one end a pinion 89 meshing with the rack, and havrack is an expansion coil spring92, one end of .which engages a shoulder 93 on the rack and the other end of which engages an annular bushing. 94 threaded within the tubular housing. Threaded into the end 95 of the cylinder is a plug 96 provided with an outlet orifice 91 leading Disposed between the head of the piston 80 and the plug 96 is an expansion coil spring 99 hearing against a cupped washer I til at the end of the spring adjacent the piston, and against a perforated domellll adjacent the plug 96. These springs urge the piston toward a normally retracted position wherein a fluid reservoir IE2 surmounting, the cylinder communicates with portions of the cylinder at opposite sides of the pisx ton 80, as by apertures Hi3. The reservoir is provided with a removable filler cap I04.

In the threaded socket 98 of the cylinder plug is secured the end of a tubular conduit [t5 provided with a branch I06 extending rearwardly along the frame of the bicycle to the passageway 22 of the rear wheel axle, and a branch H31 extending forwardly and upwardly of the frame to the pivotal front fork l3 and downwardly along one side of the fork to the front wheel axle. The branch I01 includes a flexible section I08, such as a short length of rubber tubing, at the juncture of the pivotal front fork and the frame, as shown in Figure 1.

In the operation of the bicycle, forward pedaling movement of the crank axle 60 will rotate the sprocket 64 but will not affect the sprocket 12. The motion of the sprocket 84 will be imparted through the chain 65 to the rear wheel sprocket 4! in a direction to effect engagement of the ball clutch 49 with the hub l6, whereby to turn the rear wheel and propel the bicycle in a forward direction.

Back-pedaling movement of the crank axle 60 will impart a reverse motion to the sprocket 64 and likewise to the rear wheel sprocket 41, disengaging the ball clutch 49. Simultaneously the sprocket l2 and the crank axle BB will, through the ball clutch I0, become connected, whereby to impart motion, through the chain 9| to the sprocketSll, pinion 89, rack 85 and piston 80, overcoming the resistance of the springs 92 and 99, and pumping a charge of fluid through the conduit I65 to the front and rear axles. The flow of fluid through the passageways 22 of each axle. to the cylinders 3! of each wheel, will force the pistons 35 anddiscs 39 outwardly into frictional braking engagement with the surfaces 40 of the hub cones I1.

When the system is first placed in operation, the plug 28 is removed to permit the escape of air from the cylinder through the passageway 24, upon back-pedaling.

Further back-pedaling will cause the brake fluid to bleed from the passageway 24, thereby indicating that all the air has been evacuated from the system, and at this time the plug 26 is replaced, and the brakes are ready for operation.

Various changes may be made in the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle, a stationary axle, a wheel in cluding a hub rotatable on the axle, a first sprocket rotatable on the axle, clutch means engaging the sprocket and hub upon movement of the sprocket relative to the hub in a given direction, braking means, a hydraulic motor in the hub arranged to actuate the braking means, a crank including a shaft rotatably carried by the vehicle, a second sprocket fixed to the shaft, a first chain transmitting movement of the second sprocket to the first sprocket, a third sprocket on the shaft, clutch means engaging the shaft and the third sprocket upon movement of the shaft relative to the third sprocket in a direction opposite to the given direction, a hydraulic pump, a fluid conduit connecting the pump and motor, means actuating the pump including a fourth sprocket, and a second chain transmitting movement of the third sprocket to the fourth sprocket.

2. In a hydraulically operated brake, an axle, a hub, bearing cones fixed at opposite ends of the hub for rotatably supporting the hub on the axle, a cylinder encircling the axle within the hub, pistons one at each end portion of the cylinder and splined for movement longitudinally of the axle into engagement with the cones, and means introducing a fluid into the cylinder between the pistons.

3. In a hydraulically operated brake, an axle, a hub, bearing cones fixed at opposite ends of the hub for rotatably supporting the hub on the axle, a cylinder encircling the axle within the hub,

2,189,904 V l p a 3 and pistons one at each end portion of the cylinder and splined for movement longitudinally of the axle into engagement with the cones, said axle being provided with a fluid passageway leading from its outer end portion to a portion within the cylinder.

4. In a hydraulically operated brake, an axle, a hub, bearing cones fixed at opposite ends of the hub for rotatably supporting the hub on the 10 axle, a cylinder encircling the axle within the ROBERT D. iNsKo. 1o 

